The opening day of Kalle Rovanperä at the Monte Carlo World Championship was at least nasty.
Kalle Rovanperä fell completely from the tip ride in three special stages in the dark of Thursday night. Of course, Rovanperä suffered from its seventh starting point, as the above had raised mud and dirt on the road. But anyway, the best blow to the Toyota star seemed to be missing.
Rovanperä only arrived in the evening care in sixth place. The difference to the top was 43.9 seconds, so the Finnish driver was rightly miserable.
Rovanperä could not directly tell me what the mild pace was.
Kalle Rovanperä is quite far from the tip as Monte Carlo’s World Rally continues on Friday. Zumawire / mvphotos
– It didn’t feel difficult now, but the times were bad. It always seems to be a trend here on Monte Thursday, Rovanperä said.
Rovanperä referred to Monte’s Thursday Trend, especially to the events of 2022. At that time, after the opening day, he was even farther from the tip. However, he finally finished fourth in the competition.
“I can’t answer”
Rovanperä did not participate at all in the Monte Carlo World Championship last year. Nor did the Finn run in the previous season in any asphalt competition in the World Series.
So it is worth asking if the long break from the asphalt rallies affected Rovanperä’s pace on Thursday.
“I can’t answer that question if it has so much meaning,” Rovanperä said.
– There is little room for improvement in the notes. And surely the driving style of a new tire is not suitable for me at least with dry asphalt-it’s a pretty clear thing, because for the first time I was able to drive a dry asphalt with the new Sliks ring. It is clearly seen so that it does not automatically fit my driving style. Now you have to start adapting to it, Rovanperä referred to the new ring of the new ringer Hankook.
Jari-Matti Latvala, Toyota’s team manager, saw a clear reason for the poor start of Rovanperä.
– His non -driving is visible. It’s just a fact that he has not driven this rally last year, and now the circumstances are a bit different. It just feels – nothing can be done to it. But that pace can be found on Friday, Latvala trusted.
Monte Carlo’s World Rally will continue on Friday with six special stages.